The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-10
THE DEATH OF BOOTH.

At the suggestion of John Brown his
wandering powers took conference and
example, and he remembered the man.
nerism in which old Brown had met
his fate, and Booth tried to be his pu-
pill.
Captain" said Booth, assuming n
hollow, theatrical voice, ''give me II
living chance; Withdraw your men one
hundred PAGES from the barn, and | II
come out and tight you'll
This had been John Browns request,
when entrapped in his engine house
and Booth aspired to die like Brown.
He repeated the request, and thought
Il quito unmerciful that he was not ac-
corded little stage space to die eliec
lively in.
Wen waste no more time" The civil
officer, without, spoke in tone OF dis
gust.
The katydd or cricket never ceased
to call ii9 resounding beads, and pray,
pray. pray
Booth searched the heavens and the
world for somo ingcrcassor, and fetched
from weakness h mothers name BY
that saint he asked for fifty. yards and
for Little more time.
Everything was refused.
"Now, then. my brave boys he de-
handed, in the tones OF the stage again,
prepare siretcher for met
'Sretchcrs' were the canvas bcrs to
carry out OF battle wounded men. Booth
assuming to the end-would appear to
be Il veteran entitled to the honors of
war.
lie raised his carbine, feebly rcsolv-
ing TO kill some one, or to fire t Of. ut
least. and, as he stepped, on foot and
crutch, toward the center of the barn,
TO be fathere9t from mems aiming, n
friction match was scratched behind
h m, 40 if his broken bones had rasped
each other, and sent n cold chill up his
spine.
He turned, and saw the barn on fire.
A lighted wisp Of straw, twisted BY
some one without. had fallen into the
loose hay, and some brush, pileG
against the outside of the barn, was
also alire. The warm flame for sin
gle instant carried the odor and crackle
of his fathers log cabin to his heart,
and he shouted, as his crutch fell from
under his arm and left him helpless:
Captain, do it quick? Now shoot
me through the hearth
The cricket ceased to sing, though
everything beside came forth in the
bright light, till what had been the
throne of gloom stood revealed in the
blessed implements and yield of hus-
bandry, and there were wasps flying
around their nests in the roof, seeming
flame, and in the litter of the floor ran
rats in single file, all slyly, as from a
sinking ship and one squealed as it
an incarnation scene.
The pillow aud harrow-tceth took a
ruddy CLEAN; some swallows IN the
timbers flew round and round, blinded
by the lire, and the pegs for tobacco
and the burning tobacco leaves grew
to be ferns and scallops of gold, as
they hung, like gilded scenes in specta-
cles, around the desperate man.
He had seen fires upon the stage and
helped TO stamp them ont, and he limp
ed toward the greater flame near a cor
ner; but suddenly n great tongue of
fire licked him and singed him Us if
Cerberus at hell's door had fondled on
him with furnace-tongue.
Fear seized him. and he ran toward
the door on misfitting bones-the door
held open as by some invisible angel
L.. la. .N..nIrnto haa
and trees in the structure seemed to fall
upon his skull and smash it like an
egg
Booth next felt water in his face, and
two men were holding him up and
searching his body and putting their fin
gers in his brain,
"It's here" said one, fright where
he shot the president, behind the ear
and on the same side, and here it's come
through"
In gagging torments he discerned be-
fore him two men in Confederate dress.
all shown by the light of the burning
barn. which was reflected in the home
stead porch he lay upon.
'Did-he-betray--meP" he sighed,
pointing TO one OF these, the officer who
had brought him to the house.
He did not hear the answer, but he
made il himself:
Tell mother--I-thought-I- did
neutrality-suspicious..
Kill mel Kill me!
Hcrold, tied to the tree in the little fiat
lawn. saw them turn to Booth, TO make
him comfortable, and heard him gasp
and groan. and Hcrold she'd the only
tears.
Booth could not swallow. and his
words were measured like dew in the
huneysuckle's cup that dropped above
his eyes and opened TO the fire.
He saw them. in his PARALYSIS. hold